Tampa="vulnerable city"

[Deputy Van Halen]

Here is weather.com's piece identifying Tampa as one of the key "vulnerable cities" in America for a major hurricane strike.

Hopefully Ernesto won't be major. Cuba should take a lot of punch out of him...

http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/tampa.html

[NativeLiberty]

I agree with this article that Tampa has the potential to sustain severe destruction in the face of a major hurricane. However, some facts in the article are misleading. Tampa is in Hillsboro County at the north end of Tampa Bay, not in Pinellas County nor at the mouth of Tampa Bay. To evacuate, residents of Tampa do not necessarily have to go over bridges. When looking at the greater Tampa Bay area, the almost 1 million residents of Pinellas County (St. Pete, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs) face a huge evacuation challenge should a major storm make a direct hit. There is one road out south--over water--and very few major roads north--including 2 bridges. There are no east or west routes...just water. This reporter has some of her facts and quotes mixed up, which shoots her reporting integrity in the foot and makes The Weather Channel look bad.

Thanks for the link, Deputy. I share in your hopefulness.

2 Cents from St. Pete

[DaylilyDawn]

Not mention that the people of FL listen when told to evacuate when told too.

[Josephine96]

I kinda wish TWC would do a "It could happen tomorrow" for a major hurricane striking Tampa Bay".. It'd be kinda interesting to see what could happen..

[DaylilyDawn]

The NBC televison station did a program about what a storm like Katrina would do to Tampa. It was a local production done by the station weather people.